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Continental Army commander and his roles in the government etched him as a major figure in American history. He commanded many battles that were significant in gaining our freedom from the British. He was also a politician that was involved in many of the laws that were put in place during and after British rule. Washington was born on February 22, 1732 in Virginia. In those days many people did not believe such influential men were born in the Americas. (Hems 1962) “What! Buckskin (which Virginians were referred to in those days) George Washington to buckskin!
Pshaw! Impossible! He was certainly a European: So great a man could ever have been born in America”. (pa) Many well-to-do men that were leaders in those times were Europeans. They left Britain in order to pursue their dreams that could not be met while still living in Britain. To have a man from America our own kind was very rare to see. Washington was a true American that believed in this country as much as the settlers living in it. Washington’s father, the late Augustine Washington wanted his children to be educated and well rounded.
Washington’s school years began in a humble old field school which was ran by one of his father’s tenants named Hobby. He had gone to several different schools, taught by many scholars during his childhood. It was not till his father’s passing when Washington decided to drop out of school. (Hems 1962) Many argue that Washington was a Latin scholar. It was not so. His last teacher, Mr.. Williams was a scholar in the field of reading, spelling, English grammar, arithmetic, surveying, book-keeping and geography. Mr..
Williams would always boast that he made Washington into a scholar of his likeness. (pop) They say that at the early age of eleven Washington would divide his classmates into opposing armies, the French and Americans. Little did he know that would be his destiny as an adult. Washington’s father always told him that a man should not be alone. He married his first wife Miss Deadening who mothered two sons, Lawrence and Augustine. When he married Miss Deadening, it sprung Washington to the top level of the Planters class. His first wife passed away leaving Washington to raise the boys by himself.
He still believed that it was not good for a man to be alone so he remarried Miss Mary Ball, a young lady from one of the best families in Virginia. She mothered five children: four sons and a daughter. Ellis 2004) In 1769 Washington rose to the political scene by presenting a proposal calling for a colony wide boycott on European goods to include the slave trade. (pop) The proposal was written by George Mason who refused to leave the confines of Gunshot Hall. By presenting that proposal, Washington’s public career was shaping up because now he was considered a leader in the Virginians planters class.
Washington followed the proposal as he expected the colonists to do. When he sent out for goods to be bought he would only send out for a few new items, but he would leave it up to Cary and Company to decide what to include and exclude. In 1774 Washington was once again in the political spotlight when parliament place legislation enacted the Intolerable Acts. Those acts shut down Boson’s port and martial law was imposed on Massachusetts because of the event known as the Boston Tea Party. (Ellis 2004) Washington wrote a letter to George W. Fairfax stating that “the cause of Boston… Ever will be considered as the cause of America (not that we approve their conduct in destroying the Tea. )” (pop) Washington firmly believed that the British Parliament had crossed a very sensitive line when they decided to use Boston as an example by occupying it with British troops in 1774. Many believe that the actions towards Boston were the starting point of Washington’s military career. Washington’s military career began not as a mere soldier fighting for his country but as the person who would lead the newly formed Continental Army.
There are many stories out there on how Washington was chosen to lead the Continental Army. (Ellis 2004) John Adams claims to have a role on Washington’s appointment by overruling the New England delegation in the Continental Congress, which wanted one of their own to lead the army because of the location of the battle, Boston. Pop) Other stories say the reason that Washington was chosen was because he always was the tallest in the room and was noticeable amongst other men.
Washington did not feel he was worthy of his appointment to lead the army. (Ellis 2004) On June 15 and 16 the day he was appointed and the day he gave his acceptance speech, he felt that he was not qualified and that he would serve without pay. (pop) (Ellis 2004) Washington is quoted by stating: “But lest some unlucky event should happen unfavorable to my reputation, I beg it may be remembered by every great gentleman n the room, that I this day declare with the utmost sincerity, I do not think myself equal to Command I (am) honored with. (pop) Washington did not boast because of the position he was appointed to but he felt that the (Ellis) trust bestowed upon him was way too great for his capacity and he claimed he had done everything to avoid it. ” (pop) Any man appointed to this position would have found it hard to think that thirteen young colonies could with stand an attack from a country that had the most powerful Ana and army in the world. War was apparent but it was not until Britain imposed Salutary Neglect from 1607 to 1763 on the new colonies where colonist started to feel that freedom was only a knock away.
Salutary Neglect defined in many book is that this occurred because the British government would not watch over the colonies, and the people that were here were left to govern themselves. In other words, this occurs when a government ignores the people of a nation or colony and leaves them to fend for and govern themselves on their own. The term salutary neglect was arisen by Edmond Burke’s ‘Speech for Conciliation with the Colonies’ given in the House of Commons March 22, 1775.
Burke 1834) “That I know that the colonies in general owe little or nothing to any care of ours, and that they are not squeezed into this happy form by the constraints of watchful and suspicious government, but that, through a wise and salutary neglect, a generous nature has been suffered to take her own way to perfection; when I reflect upon these effects, when I see how profitable they have been to us, I feel all the pride of power sink, and all presumption in the wisdom of human contrivances melt, and die away within me. ” (p. 86) During Salutary Neglect it was believed that the colonies would flourish f they were not kept on a tight leash, according to Prime Minister Walpole who encouraged parliament to pass it in order to benefit from the riches they would be making when the colonies began to establish themselves. Walpole believed that the colonist, though not governed by Britain, would be loyal to them. Little did he know that they were stirring the wasp nest. The Seven Year War with the French led the British to impose many new laws on the colonist that infuriated them as well as the British towards the colonist for putting up a fight against the new rules.
The feeling f freedom as individuals would become one of the major factors of the American Revolutionary. (Flannel 1967, 1968) Washington was tasked by Congress as “the maintenance and preservation of American Liberty. ” (pop) With Washington’s appointment, four major generals were also appointed. The generals were appointed by seniority. First appointed was Retreats Ward. Some believed Ward was selected to ease the tensions of the New Englanders who were not too happy when word of Washington’s appointment was announced. Washington was considered a foreigner because he was not from New England.